Stock reel



sept. 9, 1952 w B RETZ 2509591. s'rocx REEL f I Filed Dec. 12, 1948 TEI.

ATTORNEYs.

atente Sept. 9, 1952 ,1, My invention relates t a stock reelv andzmore particularly to meansV for raising or lowering a stock reel relatively to the machine with which -it is associated.

The stock tubes of the stock reel are usually axially aligned with the Is'pindles vof the machine with which the stock reel is associatedzWhen bar stock of maximum size is carried by the tubes of the reel and by the corresponding spindles, Lthe stock is perfectly -aligned and held straight. However, when the same stock reel is employed for bar stock of smaller diameter and no ad- Justment is made in the height of the stocktubes relatively to the spindles; the smaller bar stock is not held perfectly straight and in alignment with thespindIesand there is a great tendency of the bar stock to whip and cause undue noise, wear, and vibration. i' f It is the principal object ofmy'invention to provide improved means for quicklyv raising' or` lowering the stock tubes so that when bars of whatever size rest naturally in'the bottoms of the stock tubes, the bars themselves rather than `the stock tubes will be axiallyalignedjwith 'the V spindles.

It is a further object to provide'iimproved means for raising spaced apart porti'onslof the stock reel simultaneously.

It is another object to provide improved means for raising or lowering a stock reel, together with means for indicating theextent'to lwhich lit has been raised or lowered. z

Other objects and variousfeatures of novelty and invention will be hereinafter pointed out or will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

lIn the drawings which show, for illustratve purposes only, a preferred form of the inventionw Fie'l is an isometric view of a stock reel,il1ustrative of the invention, assembled with fa multiple spindle bar machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view. takensubstantially in the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig; 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken substantiallysin the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through a lstock tube or liner therein, taken substantially vin the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

preferably of :the indexible type,as 'is' well'V unders-t'oodf `fThe) stock reel illus- 'trated' comprisjes a 'pair ofdiscslfor spiders'. 8-58 'for support'irig'v stock"'-tub`es'f-9 Vin 'general '-align'- ment'*w`ith"-the*"' spindles "1 of the'fbari' machine. The stock reel-may have a central ShaftOr'arbor I!! secured-'to the discs 8=8 l'and Vcon'n'ect'zd as by means of universal' '-joints H-II and a short shaft |2 to the spindle carri'erli` -so that when the latter is' indexed the stock reelwilljb'e indexed Vwith it as isc'ommonv practice:

The stock 'rear-is supported 'at spazzed f apart points; preferably inf'the zonesof the-"discsi'S- Aas by means of' 'Verticaliistub shafts orfcolumns IB- M'atthe rearandA forward ends of thefstock reel. The shortfshaftsf"l3+|4-`may carry'shoes 15-34! 6 for revolubly supporting the discs' or other Iparts of the stock reel 'as is alsocommon practice. 'TheA shafts fl 31-14 extend 1 downwar'dly and y mafy be 'supported through Shoulders 'H by means which may be caused to raise or'filower'the stock reels. Inj the form fshown'Iemploy a pair of cam plates'orcam follower plates [ii-+19 whichplates may rest o n" 'the ,upper faces of vsupporting'.v plates f2 0-2 which mayccnstitute the tops of hollow 'shafts or sleev'es 22-23. The sleeve shaftr22 may slide in' and-be 'supportedl` laterallyy 'by a'pede'stal 24, and a 'spannerV nut 25`may1be'thre'aded on-'the fsleeve 22'and rest "on the p'edestal 24. :The ;stub 's'haft |'3 may 'have'a turned-down end 261 fitting `within and;supportedlbythe-sleeve 22-.W The 'sleeve 22'V is preferably keyed asby means of a key' and keyw'ay 21 totthez'pedestal 24,' and'the 1 correspondinggenerally'inffunction to thepedestal 24.' "Aqpannertnut D, threaded'on' the sleeve 23, may rejston the bracket; ze SQ as- ,tafis'upport :the sleeve. The' lower 'turned-'down end`3| fof the short stub shaft |4 may extenddown'jito 'and be laterally supported by the sleeve 2'3. VThev sleeve 23 is preferably keyed as by means of a key and keyway 32 to the bracket 29. The lower end 3| of the stub shaft [4 may be held against rotation in the sleeve 23 as by means of a keyway 33 and key (not shown). Thus, the reel may be supported fore and aft in generally horizontal position. The spanner nuts 25-30 may be turned for raising and lowering the ends of the reel so as to level the reel and position it Vertically to position the stock tubes in alignment with the spindles of the spindle carrier. Now, when aooasoi the reel has been leveled with the machine and the stock tubes are in exact axial alignment with the spindles, bar stock of maximum size may be carried by the stock tubes and spindles and will noise, wear, and vibration. When bar stock of i smaller diameter is to be operated on the reel is raised so that the bar stock will rest naturally in the bottom of the stock tubes in substantially exact alignment with the spindles in which position the bar stock tends to rotate properly without substantial tendency tcward whipping. Heretofore, the stock reel could beraised so as to position the smaller diameter bar stock properly by individual adjustment such as by means of the nuts -30. However, individual adjustment of the nuts 25-30 created a danger of raising or lowering one end or the other of the stock 'reel too much or too little, with consequent misalignment eifects.

I'provide means for quick and easy raising or lowering of the entire stock reel so as to position the same for proper alignment of bar stock of any size accurately with the spindles. In the form illustrated, I employ cam means at each of the two spaced supports of the stock reel and so interconnect the cam means that actuation of one automatically causes actuation of the other so that the stock reel if once level may be raised or lowered at will without disutrbing the level of the reel. In the form illustratedythe plates 20-21, which are in effect merely parts ofv the sleeves 22-23, are provided with one or more inclined or cam surfaces 34 for receiving cam followers which may be corresponding cam surfaces 35 on the plates 18-49. The two plates may be connected as by means of a link 3:5 pivotally connected to each plate so that when one plate is turned through a certain angle, the other plate will be turned through a corresponding angle. Since the cam surfaces may be and fpreferably are identical, both ends of the reel will be raised or lowered equal amounts. Thus, with little effort and without danger of disturbing the levelof the reel, the latter may be raised or lowered so as to accommodate itself to bar stock of any desired diameter. One of the plates, for example the plate IS, may be lockecl in adjusted position and, in the form shown, the plate |9.is provided with av slot 31 for receiving a clampingscrew 33 screwed into a part 38 of the bracket secured to the frame of the machine. The plate i9 may carry indicia to indicate the height which the spindle carrier has been raised7 or lowered by the cam means. Such indicia preferably will be in terms of bar stock diameter as indicateci roughly in Fig. 2.

It will be. clear, then, that when it is desired lingv means corresponding to lthe stock sizes for Number 4 to raise or lower the stock reel, the clamping screw 38 is loosened and the cam plate 19 rotated by means of the handle 40 until the cams raise the stock reel or lower the same the amount desired. When the stock reel is properly positioned. the clamping screw 38 may again be tightened so as to hold the stock reel in the desired position. It will thus be-seen that I have provided improved means for moving the stock reel so as to accurately position bar stock in axial alignment with the spindles of the machine.

i While the invention has been described in connection with a multiple spindle machine and with a stock reel employlng stock tubes corresponding vin number to the spindles of the machine, it is to be understood that for a single spindle machine the single stock tube required could be raised or lowered in accordance with my invention, and I desire the term stock reel to apply to means for carrying a single stock tube or a plurality of stock tubes.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail and a preferred form illustratecl, it is to be understoodthat various changes may be made within the scope of the invention as Vdefined in the appended claims.

I claim: i

1. A stock support comprising an elongated stock reel for supporting bars of stock to be fed into an automatic lathe or the like, supports for the ends of said reel, individually adjustable mounting means for said supports Whereby said reel may be leveled and aligned relative to said lathe spindles, cam means positioned between said mounting means and said supports, and a commonactuating means for said cam means, whereby said reel may be additionally aligned relative to said lathe spindles for different sizes v of stock with a single operation. i

2. A stock support as defined in claim 1, wherein said actuating meansA includes a clamping means for retainingsaid cam means in adjusted position, I i

3. A stock supportas defined in claim 2, wherein said actuating means further include indicatdetermining said'adjusted position. I I WILLIAM B. RE'YI'Z. REFERECES VITED The following references areof record in the le of this patent:

i UNITED STATES, PATENTS x Name .Date

179,178 Everson June 27, 1876 658,141 'Kumewind Aug. 14.1900

931,251 McIlvried Oct. 13.1908

959,157 Noyes May 24, 1910 1,o85,088 Victory et ai. June'1 7,1913 1,475,592 Morrison Nov. 27, 1923 1,85o,489 Baguley Mar. 22, 1932 2293273 Adams 1--- Aug. 18, 1942 2.328.733

Mansfield Sept. 7, 1943 

